Read the plan in detail

Why this plan was developed

Because the District was developed during the '50s and '60s, when the primary way to get around was by car, we have a limited number of sidewalks.

This lack of sidewalks, combined with barriers to crossing streets (such as streams or highways), unsafe street crossings, lack of lighting in some areas, and sidewalks too close to moving traffic, have meant that many people choose not to walk.

The Pedestrian Master Plan will help us meet our objective of ensuring safe and comfortable opportunities to walk are available through the community for a variety of trips.

How this plan was developed

The plan was developed by Opus International, a consulting firm. As part of their work, they:

reviewed relevant technical literature, including District documents, design best practices, and emerging trends and innovations

interviewed nine other municipalities to compare practices and policies

consulted the public through meetings and a web-based survey

Key recommendations in the plan

The plan establishes a ‘sidewalk priority index’ that assigns a score for each potential location for a new or extended sidewalk, as well as a prioritized list of sidewalk improvements with cost estimates.

In addition, the plan contains a number of recommendations:

Reduce the number of pedestrian-related collisions by half by 2018

Work with schools (both public and private) to make safety improvements to school routes

Establish a program to fund installation of our highest priority sidewalk improvements, and complete all of those sidewalks within 20 years

Create pedestrian priority areas within the emerging village and town centres

Read a full list of recommendations on page 87 of the complete report.